Link for sprinkler-heads.



c. c. ABBOTT.

LINK FOR SPRINKLER HEADS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, i911.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT, 0F PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ROBBINS, GAM- WELL & COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A (30IEA].2.'ll\TERE' I-III?- LINK ron SPRINKLER-HEADS.

Specification of Letters Patent. t t d t 7 Application filed May 4,1917. "Serial re'ieeso.

adapted for use in connection with the'type' of automatic sprinkler heads in which two levers, provided with heads fulcrumed upon each'other, are normally retained 1n locking position by a link, the arms of saidle-- vers moving apart quickly when the link is disrupted by fusing of the solder which normally holds the members together, and

the'invention has for its object to provide a link of this character, the parts of which may be blanked out and formed mechanically from sheet-metal at a minimum 6X4 pense, and likewise assembled at a minimum expense and in which the normal strain upon the solder shall be reduced to the minimum but the instantthe fusing ofthe solder takes place the tension upon the levers will cause instant disruption of the link.

'With these and other objects in view, I have devised the novel link which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and using reference characters toindicate the several parts. k v

Figure 1 is a perspective view, illustrating the use of my novel link in connection with well-known type of sprinkler head;

Fig. 2 a vertical central section, the levers being in elevation;

Fig. 3 a detail view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the disrupting of "the link when the solder has been fused, and

Figs. 4, 5 showing the members of the link detached, Figs. l and 6 illustrating slight variations in details of configuration from Fig. 1.

1 0 denotes a hollow hub, threaded to engage a socket in a' water-supply system and 11 a yoke cast integral therewith and carrying a block 12, which inturn carries a deflector 13 andfli's tapped to receive a set screw 14. The bore of the hub is closed by acap 15-. 16*denot'esithe levers, the arms of which are suitablyslialmd to adapt-them and 6 are perspective views,

for engagement with a link, and which are provided with heads the inner ends of which are fulcrumed upon each other, as at 22, and the outer ends of which engage the set screw and the'cap respectively. p r V 'The link comprises a plate 17, a plate 18 and a key 19, all of special construction. Plate 17 is provided with an elongated openin 20' and with another opening 21, which may be either angular as in Fig. 1 or rounded as in Fig. 4., said openings being separated by a cross bar 23. Opening 21v is preferably beveled outwardly on the under side, for a purpose presently to be explained.

Plate 18 is provided near one end with a slot 24, leaving a cross bar 31 above the slot, and near the other end with an. opening 25. Both plates are shown as provided with a plurality of indentations 26, which form bumps or bosses 27 on the opposite sides'of the plates. These depressions and bosses may, or'may not be used, as preferred. In the present instance, I have shown each plate as provided with four depressions and bosses, so-placed that they will register with each other, that is, the bosses upon one plate I will engage the depressions in the other plate, in the assembled position, and there by assist in reducing the strain upon the solder, but without interfering with the disruptionof the link, as will be more fully explained. I p p The key is formed from a strip of sheet metal, bent to shape, andconsists simply of a base portion 28, an oifset portion 29, and an angle portion 30. Thebase portion may be either angular as in Fig. 1 or rounded as in Fig. 4, and is preferably beveled downward and outward from the top as clearly shown in Fig. (3. p

The parts of the link are assembledtas follows :-,pla'tes 17 and 18 are placed side by side with the bosses upon plate 17 in engagement with corresponding depressions in plate 18, and with the lower portion of elongatedopening 20" in registration with theslot'2 l and cross bar 31, of plate 18. This leaves opening 21'of plate l7 backed up by the portion of plate 18' lying between, slot 24 and the eninges, leaves the upper portiono'fopeningQO lyingbeyond thec'ross bar ofrplat e 18 ancbadapted to receive the arm of one of the levers, and leaves the opening 25 of plate 18 lying beyond plate 17, and adapted to receive the arm of the other lever. The key is now placed in position with base portion 28 lying in opening 21 of plate 17, the offset portion of the key receiving cross bar 23 of plate 17, and the angle portion of the key, passing through the lower portion of opening 20 in plate 17, and engaging the slot 2st of plate 18. The two plates of the link and the key are now secured together by lightly flooding the contacting surfaces with a solder which will melt at a predetermined relatively low temperature, the solder being indicated by 32. In practice the smallest dimension of opening 21 is made slightly larger than the greatest dimension of the base portion oi? the key so that said base portion will pass freely through the opening without danger of catching. The beveling of the base portion of the key and the opening in plate 17 which receives it as described, insures that a layer or, the low melting solder will surround the base portion of the key in the opening and form an effective lock for the key which cannot become detached unless the solder is melted.

Theuse of my novel link will be obvious from the drawing. The cap and set screw being in position with the set screw turned outward from its normal position, the arms of the levers are engaged in openings 20 and 25, respectively of the link, the inner ends 01": the heads of the levers are placed in engagement as shown at 22, and the outer ends of the heads are placed in engagement with the set screw and cap, respectively. The set screw is then turned inward to place tension upon the arms of the levers. It will be noted that fulcrum 22, that is the bearing points of the heads of the levers on each other, is out of alinement with the bearing points on the cap and set screw respectively, on the side toward the link. so that turning inward of the set screw will cause the arms of the levers to swing outward away from each other, the link being thus strained and tension placed upon the levers.

In the event of a fire, as soon as the temperature rises suiiiciently to melt the solder, the tension of the set screw and the water pressure upon the cap will act instantly to swing fulcrum 22 fartheroutward and to swing the arms of the levers apart, which pulls plates 17 and 18 in opposite directions. The effect of this movement of the plates'upon the key is clearly shown in Fig. 3. The angle portion of the key will be tilted owing to the fact that the extreme end of the angle portion is pulled in one direction by cross bar 31 of plate 18 and a portion of the key intermediate the ends of the angle portion is pulled in the opposite direction by cross bar 23 of plate 17. This instantly throws the base portion of the key out of opening 21 in plate 17. This action, in fact, takes place so quickly, that the dis ruption of the link is practically explosive.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A link of the character described, comprising a plate having an elongated opening and a second opening with a cross bar between said openings, a second plate having a slot adapted to register with the lower portion of the elongated opening, and an opening lying beyond the first mentioned plate in the assembled position, the last mentioned opening and the upper portion of the elongated opening in the first mentioned plate being adapted for engagement by the levers of a sprinkler head, and a key comprising a base portion adapted to lie in the second opening in the first mentioned plate, an offset portion adapted to receive the cross bar of said plate and an angle portion adapted to pass through the lower portion of the elongated opening and to en gage the slot in the second mentioned plate said parts being normally secured together by a solder fusible at a predetermined relatively low temperature.

2. A link of the character described, comprising two plates each having an opening for engagement by a sprinkler head lever, one of said plates having an opening closed at the back by the other plate and the last mentioned plate having a slot, and a key comprising a base portion adapted to lie in the opening closed at the bacln an offset portion and an angle portion adapted to pass through the lever opening in one plate and to engage the slot in the other plate, said parts being normally secured together by a solder fusible at a predetermined relatively low temperature.

3. A link of the character described, com prising two plates each having an opening for engagement by a sprinkler head lever, one of said plates having an opening closed at the back by the other plate, and a cross bar, and the last mentioned plate having a slot, and a key comprising a base portion adapted to lie in the opening closed at the back, an offset portion adapted to receive the cross bar and an angle portion adapted, to pass through the'lever opening in one plate and to engage the slot in the other plate, said parts being normally secured together by a solder fusible at a predetermined relatively low temperature.

4. A link of the character describechcomprising two plates each having an opening for engagement by a sprinkler head lever and a plurality of depressions forming bosses upon the opposite side, the bosses upon one plate being adapted to register with the depressions in the other plate, one of said plates having an opening closed at the back by the other plate and the last in so mentioned plate having a slot, and a key comprising a base portion adapted to lie in the opening closed at the back, an offset portion and an angle portion adapted to pass through the lever opening in one plate and to engage the slot in the other plate, said parts being normally secured together by a solder fusible at a predetermined relatively low temperature.

5. A link of the character described, comprising two plates each having an opening for engagement by a sprinkler head lever and a plurality of depressions forming bosses upon the opposite side, the bosses upon one plate being adapted to register with the depressions in the other plate, one of said plates having an opening closed at the back by the other plate, and a cross bar, and the lastmentioned plate having a slot, and a key comprising a base portion adapted to lie in the opening closed at the back, an offset portion adapted to receive the cross bar and an angle portion adapted to pass through the lever opening in one plate and to engage the slot in the other plate, said parts being normally secured together by a solder fusible at a predetermined relatively low temperature.

6. A link of the character described, comprising two plates each having an opening for engagement by a sprinkler head lever, one of said plates having a downwardly and outwardly beveled opening closed at the back by the other plate and the last men- 1 tioned plate having a slot, and a key comprising a base portion beveled downwardly and outwardly from the top and adapted to lie in the opening closed at the back, an ofl'set portion, and an angle portion adapted to pass through the lever opening in one plate and to engage the slot in the other one of said plates having a downwardly and outwardly beveled opening closed at the back by the other plate and the last mentioned plate having a slot, and a key comprising a base portion beveled downwardly and outwardly from the top and adapted to lie in the opening closed at the back, an offset portion and an angle portion adapted to pass through the lever opening in one plate and to engage the slot in the other plate, the greatest dimension of the base portion of the key being smaller than the smallest dimension of the opening which receives it, and said parts being normally secured together by a layer of low melting solder surrounding the base portion in the opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

